Road to Redemption
by mandella-sama
Summary: REPOST The wrong words can hurt sometimes, and truthful words can be the best medicine. Your basic Misao pulls Aoshi out of the dark fic. AxM Oneshot READ AND REVIEW!


**Title:**The Road to Redemption

**Summary: RE-POST **The wrong words can hurt sometimes, and truthful words can be the best medicine. Your basic Misao pulls Aoshi out of the dark fic. AxM One-shot

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, though I wish I did.

A/N: Hope it makes sense! By the way all italics are author notes and comments! I'm sorry for those who read this earlier, It was taken down form this site...so this is a Re-post. On with the show...Oh and I WILL be upating Final Goodbye soon!

-------------------------------Story------------------------------------------

Misao opened her eyes. Light poured in form her open window.

'Why is that open? I didn't open it.' She thought barley awake. She moved slightly and then noticed a form laying in the futon with her.

Turning her head she saw a very asleep Aoshi. Blinking her sleep filled eyes; she reached forward with a hand and brushed Aoshi's bangs away from his face. At the contact Misao completely woke up. Aoshi was lying right next to her. She glanced down and then quickly looked back up. Aoshi was lying next to her and he was naked.Trying to shift her legs to get up Misao learned something else. Their legs were entangled and she was also naked!

Suddenly the event of a night two months before came back to her in a rush……

**FLASHBACK**

Misao watched Aoshi-sama sit in front of her and was saddened. He had not moved in over an hour. She should be grateful to even be able to see Aoshi-sama. That day she had asked to meditate with him for afternoon. Of course Aoshi-sama had agreed, but not in words. All that she received in answer was a nod. She should be happy with just being in his presence, but she wasn't. She wanted the meditating and malnutrition to end. _Aoshi doesn't eat much there for Misao is freaking out!_ Misao remembered when she had gone searching for her beloved 'Aoshi-sama'. He had gone and when she had the strength she had followed him. Her search was in vain though. The Aoshi –Sama she found at the end of her journey was not the Aoshi-sama she had known. H e was a mere shell. For three years since his return she had thought that she loved this Aoshi-sama because he needed her. But now the truth was she had fallen in love with the old Aoshi-sama, the Aoshi-sama that didn't feel the weight of guilt, long since forgiven, on his shoulders.

The last time she had seen his smile she was six. Now fourteen years later she had not seen it again. She had tried everything short of changing her self to make him smile. She was beginning to think that she would never see it again.

"Aoshi-sama, I don't want your shell anymore." Misao said not really realizing that she had said it out loud. Aoshi's head shot up and he stared at a bowing Misao with wide icy blue eyes. Had he heard an imaginary voice?

"I did try Aoshi-sama. I did. I have watched you everyday for four years and you are still a shell. There is not soul in the vessel in front of me. Only a shadow of what was there before. Like the leaves during fall. Not alive, merely shadows of what they used to be, part of the whole being. Sad really. I do not mean to hurt you. I am merely stating my feelings………and the truth. So this is goodbye Aoshi-sama. I cannot come to the temple anymore. You will see me but I will only have brotherly/sisterly love for you. Nothing else. I am giving you up. Forever." With that final sentence Misao stood picked up the tea tray and began to leave the temple. She was nearly to the exit when a hand grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. Aoshi-sama stood behind her staring in her eyes with started orbs. His mouth opened and closed a few times before any sound came out.

"Hannya, Beshimi, Shikijo, and Hyottoko. They died for me. I failed them, so I tried to give them honor by making them the strongest trough me. I did not realize that trying to become the strongest would make a mockery of their gift. They gave me the gift of life and happiness. Not for their souls, but to see that I had a good life. They gave their lives up to insure that I would come back to you and the others, as Aoshi Shinomori and not as a dead body. But with all I did after Kanryuu's mansion was basically as a dead person. I hurt you, I hurt Okina, and hurt everyone in the end. I was so busy trying to be the strongest that I didn't realize that to them, I was the strongest. I had always been the strongest in their eyes. I did not realize this until you spoke those hurtful words too me. You forced me into the light of day, and I see now. Thank you Okashira." Aoshi paused his speech to touch Misao's cheek in a rare display of affection. "Why is it that you can redeem me with only words?"

"It was not my words Aoshi, It was the truth. The truth that you needed to be told. With out any kind words." Misao stated. She was warily watching him. Not sure of his motives. He paused to think. Just when Misao was sure that he was done with the sonversation, he spoke,

"Yes, no kind words. It would not have been affective with kind words. I needed a reality shock. You haven't been calling me Aoshi-sama. Misao how long have you seen me, the real me?"

"Since the beginning. You were my 'Aoshi-sama', and I loved you for you. Then when you came back I thought I was romantically in love with your shell. Not till recently I have realized that I did not love that shell." Misao said. Turning her head from Aoshi's hand Misao stared out of the door of the temple. She could not tell him first. She loved the true Aoshi but she would not tell him that. Not till he showed her that he could love her back. Only if he proclaimed love first.

"You do not love me for me any longer Misao?" Aoshi asked as his hand fell to his side. Misao turned misty ocean blue eyes to his icy blue. She smiled a small sad smile and then turned to walk away. Aoshi stood there frozen. What did she want? What could he give? Was his love pure enough or strong enough to give to her? He realized five minutes after Misao had left that he was losing her forever. He had to catch her. NOW. With that thought in mind he ran.

Aoshi reached the Aoi-ya in time to see Misao go up the stairs to the living quarters. Drawing his courage and strength up he walked silently up the stairs after her. When he reached her closed shoji he paused. Could he do this? He an old man and she a young woman. No he must do this. He had to do this or he would lose Misao's love forever. He roughly pulled the shoji open and stepped inside being as loud as possible.

Misao froze when Aoshi stalked into her room. She had been changing out of her ninja uniform. Her top was pulled halfway off her head. She pulled it down quickly and, she turned to Aoshi. He was frozen watching her pull at her shirt. She had no shorts on, and her shirt did not cover all her legs. Her creamy white legs were beautiful. Realizing that he was staring, Aoshi looked up into her eyes. Striding across the room he reached for Misao. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with more passion then he ever showed. When he pulled away both were breathless. Aoshi recover first.

"Aishiteru Misao, what do you feel for me?" Aoshi said.

'Wow! It wasn't poetry but then again this is Aoshi. He loves me I feel like dancing!' Suddenly she heard and felt Aoshi move away from her. She gasped , she hadn't replied to him yet.

"Aishiteru Aoshi. I love the real you. I love the every part of you." She looked deeply into his eyes and said, "Every part, good and bad."

"Misao, I…….."

"No words." Misao pushed Aoshi out of her room and closed the shoji. He stared at the door questionly when he heard a disembodied voice.

"Not till marriage love."

"I can wait." He said with a small smile that spoke of happiness. His thoughts at that moment were… 'So we are getting married?'

**End Flashback**

Misao smiled at that memory. It had jogged her memory of why Aoshi was laying next to her. Yesterday had been their wedding. She looked at her sleeping Aoshi again. He looked at peace and like a little boy when he slept. She could not resist, leaning over she kissed his forehead. At the contact one of Aoshi's eyes opened. He glared at Misao. Startled Misao backed up.

"W-what? W-why are you glaring at me?" Misao stuttered out.

" You woke me up from a very good dream. I was kissing you at our wedding. I am mad at you, so I will enact revenge." Aoshi stated calmly, he opened both his eyes to glare at her.

"Revenge? What could you do?" Aoshi showed her by kissing her so hard that she felt her lips bruise. She smiled and said "Oh." And resumed kissing Aoshi. If this was every morning, then she was excited. It's the best thing in the world to be kissed by Aoshi. But it's even better to be kissed by a naked Aoshi.

**The End**

_A/N: THE END!1 I did the whole story last night and am uploading _

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